15
Somewhere in Nowhere
It’s almost 2:00 a.m. as Carole and I stumble off to our bedrooms. Mom petered out around 11:00 and went to bed early. I have a stomachache from the copious amounts of junk food I ingested over the course of the evening, but it was so worth it. I brush my teeth twice to scrub away the excess sugar and get in bed. It was a good day, but I am getting nervous about coming out to Neel tomorrow. At least Mags will be there to help me through it. The alien stirs a bit inside my stomach, so I quickly turn my thoughts to other things.
My mind circles back to PJ and what it would be like to spend more time with him. I want to go on a real date together. Maybe out to dinner at a nice sit-down restaurant that has white tablecloths and crisp, linen napkins. Italian food might be a good choice. Something romantic. We could share popcorn at the movies, take a walk hand in hand, or split a milkshake with two straws. When it’s time to say goodbye, he will lean forward, look deep into my brown eyes with his blue eyes, and put his lips on mine. He will kiss me softly first, then more passionately, and it will be pure bliss. I will put my tongue in his mouth, and his tongue will meet mine. I’ve kissed four girls before, but I’ve never kissed a boy. How will it be different? I imagine the few whiskers on PJ’s chin tickling my face as he kisses me. The fantasy sends a shiver through my spine. I slip my hand into my boxers and wonder about what happens after kissing.
Iwake to knocking at my bedroom door. I open one eye to peer at the clock. It’s noon. Whoa! I slept the whole morning away.
“Come in,” I say.
The door cracks open, and Mom peeks her head in.
“Simon, your friends are here.”
“What? Oh, no! I forgot to set the alarms last night. Tell them I will be right out and that I’m sorry.”
I jump out of bed, rummage on the floor for yesterday’s boxers, and slide them on. The front is stiff from the wetness that soaked them last night. Yuck! Oh well, what can you do? Now I understand why people say teenage boys are gross—we really are. I put the rest of my clothes through a sniff test and finish off the outfit with a baseball cap before heading out to the living room. Mom is holding court with Mags and Neel.
“Well, look who decided to get up,” Mom says.
“I’m sorry, guys. I knew you were coming over at noon, but I forgot to set my alarms. Honestly, I didn’t know I could sleep till noon anymore.”
Mags rolls her eyes.
“It’s fine. Your mom was filling us in on the return of movie night. Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame again? Really, Simon? How many times are you planning on watching those movies? Never mind, don’t answer that. Are you ready to go?”
“I am,” I say with my special smirk reserved for Mags. “Mom, we’re taking the Metro downtown to walk around Georgetown for the afternoon. We also might go to the movies or bowling this evening.”
“Okay, have a nice time. It’s the first Saturday of the month, so Carole is working. I might go into work as well.”
“Mom, don’t go to the lab. It’s the weekend. Go shopping or read a book,” I plead.
She shakes her head and explains that if she works today, she might not have to work late during the week. It’s hard to argue with that, so I grab my wallet and keys and head out the door with Neel and Mags in tow. Mom rushes over before I leave and presses a crisp twenty-dollar bill in my hand. She kisses me on the cheek and tells us again to have a good time.
“Neel,” she calls after us, “be sure to thank your mother for the homemade samosas. That was so thoughtful of her. I’m going to take them with me to work and have them for dinner. My coworkers will be so jealous!”
We get in Neel’s parents’ car and head to the Metro station. Mags climbs in the back, and I take the passenger seat. It’s weird to get in from the passenger side door. I’m always the one driving the three of us. This is a rare treat for Neel to drive; his parents almost never let him take the car. But they agreed for today, so long as he came straight to my apartment and didn’t take the car into the city. I glare at Neel.
“What? What did I do?” he says, finally noticing.
Mags leans forward and gives him a dirty look too. She and I appear to be on the same page.
“Why are you two shooting daggers at me? What could I have possibly done? I’ve barely even spoken.”
“Samosas, Neel, really?” Mags says. “You bring samosas to Simon’s mom, but you don’t bring us any?”
Neel sighs, leans over, and opens the glove compartment. Inside is a small, grease-stained paper bag.
“I pulled three out of the batch and saved them for us. My mom specifically said she made these for Lindsey and Carole, not us, but I know you two.”
He tosses the bag to Mags. She ruffles Neel’s hair, and I slap him on the thigh.
“You’re the best, buddy,” Mags moans, taking a bite of her samosa, as crumbs drop down the front of her shirt. She tosses the bag to me. I hand one to Neel and bite into the one I keep for myself. It’s spicy, greasy, and tastes like sunshine. Just like you would expect potatoes wrapped in pastry to taste.
“If truth be told, this is why I am friends with the two of you—your parents’ cooking,” I say. “There, I said it. The truth is out in the open, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“What makes you think this is news to us?” Neel says.
